Later this year, Rocket League will get an update that allows it to run at 120 FPS on Xbox Series X and S. That same feature isn’t coming to the game on PS5, however. Developer Psyonix says that doing so would require “a full native port” unlike on Microsoft’s next-gen consoles.
“Enabling 120hz on Xbox Series X|S is a minor patch, but enabling it on PS5 requires a full native port due to how backwards compatibility is implemented on the console, and unfortunately wasn’t possible due to our focus elsewhere,” a spokesperson for Pysonix told Eurogamer. As a result, the Series X version of Rocket League will have a performance mode that plays “2688x1512 resolution at 120 FPS with HDR” (1344x756 resolution on Series S), but the PS5 version will be limited to 4K at 60 FPS via checkerboarding.
This asymmetry has popped up a few times now, starting when EA announced its next-gen update for Star Wars: Squadrons. “If you choose performance, the game will run up to 1440p at 120 FPS [on Series S] and up to 2160p at 120 FPS [on Series X],” the publisher announced earlier this month. The PS5 version, meanwhile, will have better lighting but otherwise run at the same resolution and framerate as the game on PS4 Pro.
And it’s the same for Call of Duty: Warzone. As Eurogamer reported last week, Infinity Ward stealthily added a framerate boost to the Xbox Series X version of the game in a recent update. The game now targets 120 FPS on Microsoft’s console, though often falls somewhere closer to 100 FPS, according to an analysis by Digital Foundry. On PS5 the game remains locked at 60 FPS.
In addition to the the difference in backwards compatibility between the two next-gen consoles mentioned by Psyonix, Eurogamer points out that variable refresh rates and 120Hz has been a thing on Xbox for some time, which is why Rainbow Six Siege can currently go over 60 FPS even on the older Xbox One X.
“Right now, Sony limits 120Hz support to games specifically designed for PS5, meaning that ‘enhanced’ PS4 games like Rocket League and Warzone can’t tap into the feature,” Digital Foundry’s Richard Leadbetter told Eurogamer. That doesn’t mean that these games can’t get 120 FPS support in the future. It just might require more work on the backend, which may or may not be worth it depending on the demand.
Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment.